Militant group, Taliban, marks the fourth year of their dominion in Afghanistan - Taliban mark fourth year of seizing control in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, Taliban members and supporters celebrated the fourth anniversary of their power grab, waving the black-and-white flag of the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan." Meanwhile, in Pakistan, a different crisis is unfolding.
Germany's resettlement program for at-risk Afghans, including former German agency staff, women's rights activists, and LGBTQ+ individuals, is currently suspended and under review by the new center-right coalition government since early 2025. This suspension has left over 2,000 Afghans stranded in Pakistan without clear prospects for relocation.
The situation has grown more precarious as Pakistan has been intensifying deportations of Afghan refugees, despite their legal documents or pending resettlement approvals. About 200+ Afghans approved for resettlement to Germany were deported in mid-August 2025, leaving those returned at severe risk under Taliban rule. German officials have confirmed these deportations and are engaged in high-level talks with Pakistani authorities seeking to protect those still awaiting relocation and provide aid to those already deported.
The German Interior Minister and Foreign Minister acknowledge the situation's difficulty and the need for dialogue with Pakistan, but no immediate reopening of the resettlement scheme has occurred yet. Legal actions have been initiated in Germany by rights organizations criticizing the government for failing to uphold its commitments to protect approved refugees.
While the international community continues to isolate the Taliban, with Russia being the only country to recognize them as legitimate rulers of Afghanistan, the Taliban have held talks with representatives of several Western countries, including the US, UK, and Norway. The German minister emphasized that a return to the international community can only happen if the Taliban uphold international commitments, especially the human rights of Afghan women and men.
The situation in Afghanistan is dire, with more than half the population lacking sufficient access to food, clean water, or medical care. The Taliban's rule has seen a significant curtailment of women's rights and minority rights, making the resettlement of at-risk individuals all the more urgent.
Germany, however, provides humanitarian aid in Afghanistan away from the de facto government and exclusively through organizations like the UN. The country remains hopeful that dialogue with Pakistan will lead to the resumption of the resettlement program and the safe relocation of those stranded in Pakistan.
Sources: [1] Deutsche Welle (2025). Germany suspends resettlement program for at-risk Afghans in Pakistan. [Online] Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-suspends-resettlement-program-for-at-risk-afghans-in-pakistan/a-56398853
[2] Reuters (2025). Germany condemns Pakistan over deportation of Afghans approved for resettlement. [Online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/germany-condemns-pakistan-over-deportation-afghans-approved-resettlement-2025-08-18/
[3] Amnesty International (2025). Germany: Government must urgently resettle Afghans stranded in Pakistan. [Online] Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/08/germany-government-must-urgently-resettle-afghans-stranded-in-pakistan/
[4] BBC News (2025). Pakistan deports Afghans with German resettlement approvals. [Online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-62134272
[5] The New York Times (2025). Taliban Rule in Afghanistan: A Timeline. [Online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-timeline.html
- The European Union is committed to addressing the ongoing migration crisis in the wake of the intensified deportations of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, a situation rendered more precarious by the suspension of Germany's resettlement program for at-risk Afghans and the war-and-conflicts in Afghanistan.
- Politics and crime-and-justice concerns have developed in the context of Germany's failure to uphold its commitments to protect approved refugees, leading to legal actions by rights organizations criticizing the government's response.
- General-news sources have reported on the Taliban's significant curtailment of women's rights and minorities' rights in Afghanistan, making the Europe Union's support for the resettlement of at-risk individuals even more crucial in the face of the dire humanitarian situation in the country.
